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All You Need To Know About Tobacco Use

Tobacco use continues to account for a considerable number of preventable deaths and diseases in the United States. According to the Behavioral Health Trends in the United States: Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a report prepared by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), approximately 66.9 million people of ages 12 and older were users of tobacco products, including 55.2 million cigarette smokers. The data also disclosed that about 32.5 million people reported smoking cigarettes on a daily basis, according to this report.

Smoking or ingesting tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookahs, and smokeless tobacco poses dangerous health threats not just to the smoker but to those exposed to secondhand smoke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that each year, about 42,000 nonsmokers die from diseases caused by exposure to secondhand smoke.

The negative effects of smoking on human health has been stressed more than enough, and many studies have proven that the bad habit of smoking has been one of the major issues in the field of medicine. In the early times, smoking was believed to have medicinal properties that can give protection from the bubonic plague. Nowadays, smoking has become a growing concern worldwide because of the negative health impacts and even deaths that have been attributed to it.

People who are addicted to smoking and even those who are planning to give it a try should really ponder on the effects of smoking a stick of cigarette before it is too late.

Things To Know First About Cigarette Smoking

The first thing that people should know about a stick of cigarette is that it carries nicotine as one of its active components. Nicotine is an odorless, colorless liquid that naturally occurs in tobacco. Tobacco, which is a major ingredient of cigarettes, is a plant rich in alkaloids proven to have serious effects on human health.

Every stick of cigarette carries about more than ten milligrams of nicotine, which increases the heart rate when smoking. About less than an hour after smoking, nicotine levels slowly deteriorate, resulting in withdrawal symptoms like mood swings, hunger pangs, and dizziness. Smokers will then decide to add the number of sticks they puff on to get through these symptoms. The desire to light another stick is a result of psychological habit caused by nicotine.

History of Nicotine

Christopher Columbus testified to the wide-scale use of tobacco amongst Native Americans when he discovered America in the late 15th Century but there is anecdotal evidence of earlier voyages by other explorers to the continent who had testified in witnessing people smoking tobacco.

While in Europe, the history of nicotine begins in 1560, when French ambassador in Portugal, Jean Nicot, sent tobacco plants and seeds originated from Brazil to Paris and promoted tobacco as a medicinal plant. Nicotine is derived from the word 'Nicotina Tabacum'.

During the colonial and exploration time, French explorer Jacques Cartier wrote the first definitive account of early experimentation by Europeans, describing how he had smoked tobacco with Native Americans whilst in the Americas.

Tobacco use in Europe and in America

There are countless theories and stories on how the tobacco plant was shipped in Europe from America, but the thing is for sure, Christopher Columbus and his men sampled these plants offered by native Americans and all succumbed to its powerful spell. When tobacco was introduced in Europe, it was used in pipes and its popularity spread rapidly. Some see it as a powerful medicine that can even cure the “Black Death”, while others see it as evil and nasty habit.

In early 1600, tobacco was imported to Europe from the new colonies in North America thus becoming an important cash crop. History experts believe that these new colonies wouldn’t be prosperous if not with the help of these toxic weeds. Tobacco demands grow rapidly thus tobacco farmers from the new territory need to import African slaves to cultivate the tobacco crops. Tobacco farming becomes an important economic figure not only in local economies but also on the national level.

Here are more facts and important dates to remember:

In 1809, French scientist Vauquelin was the first person to observed nicotine from tobacco. He noticed a volatile and alkali active residue product from tobacco juice.

In 1828, Two German scientists, Poselt and Reiman from the University of Heidelberg performed isolation and purification of tobacco, they named the juice like residue from a tobacco Nicotine, in honor of French ambassador Jean Nicot, the first European officials who import tobacco plants and seed from Brazil.

In 1843, Belgian chemist Louise Melsens came up with an emphatic formula for Nicotine; C10H14N2.

In 1847 Jean Jacques Theophile Schloesing, Chemist, author have developed methods for analyzing tobacco and its molecular weight; 162,23 g.mol-1

In 1895, Adolf Pinner, a German chemist, studied and elucidated the structure of nicotine from tobacco and was able to develop the structure of the nicotine that is known today.

In 1950, A group of American scientists conducted the very first study on nicotine metabolism.

In 1981, the very first Enantioselective (i.e. relating to or being a chemical reaction in which one enantiomer of a chiral product is preferentially produced) synthesis of natural (S) nicotine was conducted.

What Happens When You Smoke?

When you light and puff on a cigarette, about two milligrams of the total nicotine content is automatically absorbed by the body. Nicotine quickly penetrates into the bloodstream and reaches the brain, causing the release of adrenaline that will result in your body asking for more sticks to smoke.

If this does not still discourage you, you should know that more than 200 chemicals are present in cigarettes that are known to be carcinogenic. Aside from poisonous chemicals like carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ammonia, cigarettes also carry formaldehyde, ethylene oxide, polonium-200 and chromium that are all harmful to the body.

Teenage Smoking

Despite warnings about the health hazards of tobacco use, people have continuously patronized this product, making it a seemingly essential part of their daily lives. What makes the issue alarming is the fact that teen smoking rates are increasing, and more kids have started an early addiction to tobacco. Aside from the usual cigarettes that they may have access to, teenagers also use pipes, hookahs, bidis, and the very popular e-cigarettes.

If this continues, teens who engage in tobacco use may die early from smoking-related illnesses.

To stop teenagers from engaging in the use of tobacco products, parents should become aware of the probable causes why their teens start to smoke at such an early age.

Why do teens smoke cigarettes?

There may be various factors why teenagers start to smoke cigarettes, some of which include the following:

Poor parental modeling

Teenagers whose parents smoke are more likely to become tobacco users themselves, especially if they see adults smoking and making it a part of their daily routine. In their young minds, adolescents may think that since it is readily available, it is part of any normal human experience.

Media influence

Movies may also have a huge influence on teenagers. At least 47% of teens agreed that seeing drugs and tobacco products on screen seem to be okay.

Another study showed that teens aged 12-17 years old who watch three or more rated “R” movies were seven times more likely to smoke cigarettes. They probably think that tobacco use is a way of being “cool” as they see it being used by their favorite actors.

Curiosity

Being a teenager is not as easy as it sounds because it is during this stage that they try to discover things, including their own identities. When they feel unhappy, more often than not, they may turn to a substance that they have easier access to. Taking the substance may produce a different kind of feeling, which can make them happy, energized and more confident.

Boredom

Sometimes, teenagers feel the need to smoke because they don’t have anything else to do. You can’t expect them to be always studying as it may make them feel burned out and bored.

In this case, tobacco use or alcohol consumption may fill the internal void.

Peer connection

Smoking can somehow become their way of hanging out with similar-minded teens thereby instantly having a connection. Seeing that other people are also using these substances lessens a teenager’s fear of being misjudged. They get a sense that whatever crazy decisions they make, blaming it on the substance is just a fine excuse.

Identity crisis

Teens may be dealing with different issues in their young lives to a point that they turn to alcohol or drugs as a means of showing rebellion. They may choose different substances depending on their personalities.

For instance, angry teenagers may choose alcohol or methamphetamines to make them behave more aggressively. Marijuana has the opposite effect, by making them feel secluded from the whole world. Tobacco use may make them flaunt their independence, like making a statement to parents saying that they have already grown up.

A teenager’s life is a complex stage. Many shy teenagers would make use of drugs or alcohol to help them gain confidence. The effects that tobacco products include having less inhibition and reducing social anxiety.

Wrong knowledge of tobacco use implications

Being naïve at a young age comes with a price. Some teenagers think that taking these substances will not lead to any untoward incidents. Some teenagers would influence their friends and provide wrong information about the effects of the substances.

It is best that parents should have time to talk to their children regarding the dangers of tobacco products. This way, teenagers will have greater chances of staying away from people who are trying to influence them.

Happy Feeling

Teenagers turn to substance use because they feel a form of instant gratification. The initial effects of triggering the “happy center” of the brain can make a teenager down a glass of alcohol or light up a cigarette.

Danger of Tobacco Use by Teenagers

Because teenagers are still in the stage of growth, they are vulnerable to the deadly effects of smoking. Health consequences of tobacco use include the following:

The facts stated above aren’t associated with smoking because most of the information circulating is geared towards warning the public against the effects of illicit drugs. However, although it has a legal status in any country, tobacco can cause a lot of diseases that may eventually lead to death.

This is one reason why all cigarette packs need to display graphic warnings to let the people know the hazards of smoking. Through this form of advertisement or information campaign, people who smoke tobacco may find themselves lowering their rate of consumption until they can completely get rid of the deadly habit.

Facts About Teenage Smoking and Addiction

The fact sheet of the World Health Organization on tobacco smoking emphasized that smoking is “one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing around 6 million people a year”. This is further supported by the figures on the number of deaths caused by direct smoking and secondhand smoke, which amounted to 5 million and 600,000, respectively. Furthermore, the World Health Organization states that smoking kills about a half of the total number of smokers.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through its campaign dubbed as BeTobaccoFree, identifies smoking as the leading cause of fatalities and major health problems that can actually be prevented. Based on the organization’s statistics, it is alarming that every day, more than 3,000 below the age of 18 try to smoke for the first time, and about two-thirds of this figure will eventually become smokers. In addition, although there is a high decline in the percentage of smokers from 1964 to 2014, (from 42 percent to 18 percent), a current figure of 18% of high school students are identified as cigarette smokers.

Governments around the globe continuously put efforts in raising consciousness among communities because of the growing number of smokers worldwide. Several strategies are currently being implemented to send the message across communities, with the goal of declining the population that is into cigarette smoking.

Tobacco is one of the most frequently abused substances in the country. People are drawn to experiment with tobacco use for a number of reasons such as pleasure, stress relief, weight control, enhanced mental acuity, and image building.

Tobacco use is something that teenagers may consider as part of regular human life just like eating or sleeping. Little do they know that getting hooked on tobacco can cause them health risks that exceed the fulfillment that they think they receive.

Because it is not declared as a controlled or illicit substance, it is highly accessible compared to dangerous drugs. The convenience of acquisition somehow causes users to overlook the addictive nature of the substance.

The main addictive chemical in tobacco products is nicotine, which is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream when tobacco is inhaled, smoked, or chewed. Nicotine stimulates an increase in dopamine levels which affect the areas of the brain that control pleasure and reward.

The other components of the products such as acetaldehyde may heighten the effects of nicotine on the brain. Over time, tobacco use can lead to physiological addiction or abuse, in the same manner as a user gets addicted to cocaine, heroin or other addictive substance.

Here are some disturbing facts about teen smoking:

Female teenagers use tobacco as their means of controlling weight. However, smoking can also cause excess hair growth.

Smoking cigarettes decrease lung function growth.

Roughly 44% of teens say that they did not know bidi cigarettes would lead to cancer.

One bidi cigarette has three times more nicotine and carbon monoxide compared to a regular cigarette.

Teens who smoke produce more phlegm that those who don’t smoke.

Tobacco smoking can cause skin breakouts.

Pimples often stay longer.

Smoking 2-3 cigarettes a day can get anyone hooked on a long-term habit in two weeks.

Teen smokers have a lowered immune system.

Sleeping disturbance may be evident among teen smokers.

Tobacco Addiction

Addiction is characterized by a compulsive drug-seeking behavior, despite knowledge of the negative effects or consequences. There is a high probability of addiction when a person:

Cannot function normally without tobacco use

Cannot stop smoking or ingesting tobacco despite a desire or attempt to quit

Continues smoking or chewing despite illnesses or health problems

Continues to smoke even in hazardous conditions (e.g. in bed, near a gasoline station)

Experiences withdrawal symptoms whenever he attempts to quit

Feels the need or compulsion to smoke or chew tobacco after meals, during breaks, or after long periods without using tobacco

Has developed a tolerance for the substance and requires more frequent use or higher doses to achieve the desired effects

Seeks a tobacco product during stressful situations

Spends a great deal of time on smoking activities or on trying to obtain tobacco products

Effects of Tobacco Abuse

There are several ill-effects that can arise from prolonged tobacco use or addiction. The detriment can affect several areas including personal health and societal economic costs. Here are some of the dangerous consequences of tobacco abuse:

Impact on personal health

Nicotine is only one of the thousands of poisonous chemicals found in tobacco products. Other substances such as tar, carbon monoxide, acetaldehyde, nitrosamines, formaldehyde, cyanide, and ammonia that also make up these products are toxic chemicals and carcinogenic to humans. The same components are contained in smokeless tobacco.

This is why tobacco use is the leading cause of several cancers. It accounts for about 90% of lung cancer cases.

Aside from cancers, it also leads to other severe medical conditions such as bronchial diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders, heart diseases, stroke, vascular diseases, aneurysm, and diabetes. In addition, smoking has been found to cause erectile dysfunction among males.

Secondhand smoke

Tobacco use not only affects the direct user. The exhaled smoke called environmental tobacco smoke or secondhand smoke is likewise hazardous for those exposed to the emissions. Frequent exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risks of developing heart diseases, respiratory infections, and lung cancer.

Secondhand smoke is especially unsafe for children. Children exposed to the smoke can develop severe asthma and other respiratory infections. In worse cases, parental smoking can result in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Pregnant women

Pregnant women who smoke incur increased risks of miscarriage, stillborn delivery, or giving birth prematurely. This is because exposure to nicotine and carbon monoxide may hinder oxygen supply to the fetus, which leads to severe consequences for the child including respiratory difficulties and sudden infant death syndrome.

Tobacco use during pregnancy could also result in learning and developmental difficulties in the child including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Moreover, maternal smoking affects the child’s behavioral and psychological patterns and he is more likely to become addicted to nicotine when he starts smoking.

Economic cost

Tobacco use is also costly for society. It contributes to loss of productivity and to high costs in terms of healthcare. The CDC reports that the total economic cost of smoking exceeds $300 billion a year. The amount represents expenses for medical care, premature deaths, and loss of workforce productivity.

Ways to Quit Smoking

Making the decision to quit smoking might probably be a difficult challenge for smokers, especially when smoking has already been a part of their daily routine for a long time. However, quitting a bad habit always pays off in the end because by welcoming positive changes, smokers may eventually give themselves a chance to live a healthy lifestyle.

The following might help in the journey of quitting cigarette smoking:

Inform yourself about the effects of smoking

Before doing anything, you should know that the best way to understand something is by reading and researching about it. In the case of smokers who are hesitant to quit because they think they can’t, the trick is to start doing research and read about related articles and studies that link negative health impacts of smoking.

Seeing photographs of those suffering from illnesses caused by smoking may motivate you to finally quit.

Talk to people who have successfully quit smoking

Once you have done research, you may choose to talk to people who have decided to quit and have successfully surpassed the hurdles of temptation to go back to the habit of smoking.

Words from people who have chosen to quit may inspire you that you can also do what he/she has done.

Start playing sports

Being active in sports will further encourage you to quit smoking because your normal breathing is almost always a requirement in sports that test your endurance and agility. Furthermore, regular training and joining tournaments will help you focus your attention and time on the sports you are playing, and will help you go through your withdrawal syndrome.

Physical activities like sports will help you sweat your anxieties away, resulting in a more effective approach in dealing with your personal process of quitting to smoke.

Pick a new hobby

A new hobby will get your attention off the stick of cigarette you have been itching to light and puff on. While there are many ways on how to deal with withdrawal syndrome that comes with quitting, a hobby can be a permanent replacement for a bad habit you wish to take out of your system.

Whether it is painting, dancing, or learning a new language, your goal is to create beautiful outputs in the process. Cooking is a good option, too! It has been proven that sense of smell and taste improve when a person decides to quit smoking. So, invade your kitchen and nail that recipe for next Sunday’s lunch!

Volunteer for a cause

Volunteerism opens doors for new environments, new friendships, and new perspectives. When going through a challenging chapter of your life, volunteering for an advocacy helps you develop a sense of self-discipline as your commitment to activities and programs will be tested.

There are a number of organizations that need manpower. Here’s a chance for you to focus your energy and time to contribute to relevant areas in your community.

Pick the right food and drinks

A large percentage of smokers’ fear that when they quit, they will start gaining weight. It should be comforting to know that with the wide variety of fruits and vegetables, weight gain can be expected less.

The decision to quit smoking should be accompanied by the decision to start living a healthy lifestyle by eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking fruits juices and milk. Seeing the benefits of a healthy diet will further motivate you to completely forget about smoking.

Withdrawal Symptoms from Tobacco Use

Smokers should also be informed that once they quit, the carbon monoxide level in the blood automatically decreases by substantial amounts, causing the normal flow of the blood to carry oxygen to the different parts of the body. It will be very beneficial for the body as the normal process of the heart will go back to normal.

Few minutes after quitting, the body’s heart rate will begin to normalize. Further, after a few weeks of quitting, the body will be able to improve its performance in physical activities such as sports and other strenuous activities that require more energy and endurance. The body’s nerve endings will also begin to heal, resulting in an improved sense of taste and smell. Lastly, the body’s ability to fight off infections will also increase when you decide to quit smoking.

After a month of quitting, the body’s cilia, an integral part of the immune system, will be able to function well in filtering the infections that may affect the body.

The greatest motivation to quit smoking is not only about you getting ill; it is also about the people around you. Aside from direct smoking, secondhand smoke, also known as passive smoking, is also a major concern in public health because a number of health issues have been linked to people’s exposure to a population of cigarette smokers in the workplace, in school, in public places like restaurants and bars, and even in their homes.

Withdrawal symptoms include irritability, anxiety, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, fatigue, increased heart rate, and intense cravings. Avoidance of these symptoms can prevent a user from quitting the bad habit. This prolongs the phase of addiction and increases his risks of incurring medical complications related to tobacco abuse.

How Can Parents Help Teens To Stop Smoking?

There is a need to provide comprehensive regulations to reduce accessibility and affordability of cigarettes and other tobacco products to prevent teens from engaging in tobacco use.

Cigarette smoking among the youth is a global issue. Adolescents may have several reasons for tobacco use with the wrong perception that it can make them stand out from the rest and belong to the “cool” groups in school. Whatever reasons these teenagers may have, the fact remains that smoking affects overall health.

Other than merely relying on what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says about the dangers of smoking, parents should be the first people to educate their children regarding the risks of smoking tobacco products.

Teen smoking rates can be reduced with the following suggestions:

Parents should be role models

Sometimes, a parent can be more effective in teaching their children when their children see them “practice what they preach”. The earlier the parents stop smoking, the less likely their teen kids can become smokers.

While it may not be easy for smoking parents to stop immediately, they should learn not to smoke in front of their children. Never leave cigarettes in places where your teens may find them. Let the children know that you are struggling to stop smoking.

It would be helpful to seek medical advice on how you can slowly quit smoking.

Be understanding

Instead of scolding your teens upon discovery of tobacco use, try understanding their actions. You may approach the matter through any of the following:

Ask if their friends are smoking too.

Know if there are things that could be bothering them, and let them open up to you. Listen and provide solutions.

Acknowledge all positive actions and correct those that are inappropriate.

Teens need their parents more during this time. With so many questions in their heads, they need to receive the right information from parents instead of getting their answers from fellow teens.

Educate them on the risks

Approach your teen in a way where you describe smoking as something that is filthy – how it can mess up with the way they look, their breath smells, and the color of their teeth appears.

Point out the consequences that will happen when they start using tobacco. Mention any relative or friend who may have been ill due to smoking.

In addition, give them a simple computation on how much it could affect their weekly school budget if some of their money is spent on buying cigarettes. Calculate the amount that they will spend on cigarettes in a year. The amount might even be the same as the cost of a mobile device.

Instill discipline

Be firm when you tell your children that smoking is never allowed. When you emphasize this to them at a young age, they are more likely to adhere to what you tell them.

Your teens would listen more and believe you more when you get yourself involved in any local or school-sponsored campaigns against smoking.

Treatment Options for Tobacco Addiction

Quitting tobacco use is challenging. A tobacco addict will normally attempt to do this several times but the addiction will keep him craving to consume the substance. His dependence on nicotine becomes a chronic disease that will require a combination of treatment approaches guided by medical professionals and counseling experts.

However, with the right attitude, support, and motivation, recovery from tobacco abuse is possible. These are the treatment options for tobacco addiction:

Nicotine replacement therapy

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a pharmacological treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration as safe and effective for use as a remedy for nicotine addiction. NRT works by replacing the nicotine from the cigarettes by releasing the substance in smaller amounts at a slower pace, controlling the dose that enters the bloodstream. This satisfies the cravings for nicotine that occur during the withdrawal phase.

NRT aids in reducing the withdrawal symptoms and affects the psychological aspects by moderating the patient’s mood. Thus, he is able to function normally even without using a tobacco product. Continuous use will help the patient abstain from cigarette smoking or ingesting other forms of tobacco.

The 6 types of NRT products that are currently approved include transdermal nicotine patches, nicotine nasal sprays or inhalers, nicotine lozenges, nicotine gums, and sublingual nicotine tablets. This form of therapy is most effective for heavy smokers and it increases the quit rate by 50 to 70%, based on data from this article.

However, NRT is not the ultimate remedy for smoking cessation. It is recommended that these products be used in conjunction with non-nicotine preparations to ensure better chances of recovery from nicotine addiction.

Non-nicotine medication

Another approach is to administer medications that do not contain nicotine but help to control and eliminate the physiological dependence on the substance. Two drugs have been approved by the FDA as effectual in smoking cessation therapy. These are:

Bupropion

Also known by its trade name Zyban, this substance controls the symptoms of withdrawal, especially depression. It has shown to double smoking cessation rates.

Varenicline tartrate

Known by the trade name Chantix, it targets the nicotine receptors in the brain and ensures balanced levels of dopamine. This helps to prevent withdrawal symptoms.

The use of varenicline may increase risks for developing cardiovascular problems such as myocardial infarction, angina, coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, ischemia, and stroke. As such, this remedy should be taken with caution and should only be resorted to after proper consultation with a physician.

The other second-line therapies recognized by the U.S. Clinical Practice Guideline are Nortriptyline and Clonidine. Both drugs have shown to effectively diminish withdrawal symptoms and to elevate abstinence rates.

Combination of pharmacotherapy

In some cases, a combination of drugs and NRT approaches may be necessary to help a patient effectively quit smoking or chewing tobacco.

The use of a passive NRT product such as a transdermal patch may be used together with another medicine with an acute dosing preparation such as a gum or nasal spray. For heavy abusers, the combination of these therapies may be more efficacious than using either product alone.

NRT may also be used together with a non-nicotine medication. For instance, a nicotine patch when with the drug Bupropion may produce better results.

Combining the use of pharmacotherapy methods should be directed and supervised by a physician or a licensed treatment facility.

Behavioral therapy

It is recommended that pharmacological treatment is accompanied by behavioral therapy. The latter is an intervention mechanism that addresses psychological factors which can strengthen a patient’s resolve to focus on recovery and avoid temptations that can lead to relapse.

Methods in behavioral treatment include self-help materials and individual counseling. These are intended to help the patient develop stress management and coping mechanisms as alternative strategies to smoking tobacco during highly stressful situations. It also teaches the patient to recognize situations where he could be enticed to use a tobacco product and to avoid such settings or adeptly handle them.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy methods such as hypnotherapy and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) have also been effectual for some patients. These approaches assist the users to change their perceptions and behavior towards tobacco use.

Conventional behavioral methodologies are conducted at formal treatment facilities, smoking cessation clinics, and community health centers. The modern approach, however, permits patients to avail of treatment by phone, mail, or over the internet.

In 2004, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a toll-free number for smokers who want to quit the bad habit. The number is 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) and callers are redirected to their respective state’s cessation quitline or to the National Cancer Institute.

Quitting smoking can be tough for a highly-dependent user and the chances of relapse are high. Because intervention programs usually last from 1-3 months, about 75-80% of patients are likely to resume the habit within the first year of treatment. To be effectual, programs are usually extended to about six months or longer. In most cases, long-term management and support including administration of low-dose medications may be necessary.

Advances in medical science research are promising and more potent remedies may be available in the near future. While the alterations to the central nervous system brought about by nicotine dependence could not be completely reversed by pharmacologic preparations, proper treatment can manage the addiction.

The success of any treatment approach ultimately lies in the strength of the patient’s determination to overcome his dependence on the substance. Help from various agencies and clinics are available. However, what a patient needs most of all is an attitude of firm commitment to recovery.

Nicotine Test Kit

To find out if your teenager is using tobacco, you may purchase nicotine test kits. These products can be very helpful in determining recent tobacco use – whether cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobaccos, or smokeless tobacco.

A urine nicotine drug test is capable of detecting cotinine, a substance produced when nicotine enters the individual’s body. Just like any other urine drug test, a urine sample is collected and an easy-to-read dip card is used in measuring the nicotine levels.

It only takes a few minutes to determine the presence of nicotine. The presence of nicotine in the sample can be detected even 2-4 days after the last tobacco use.

Conclusion

Environments play a vital role in cigarette smoking, especially for the younger population, especially teenagers, who are exposed to peer pressure, and who will most probably become smokers. Education at home should be the responsibility and priority of parents so that teenagers will be able to understand early on what smoking does to the body.

Every time you puff on a cigarette, you should seriously think about what danger it can cause to your health and even to those around you. Conquering the challenge of quitting cigarette smoking will definitely lead to positive results and will benefit your surroundings as it will also save the lives of the people around you.